02/05/2025
UN Staff Rally for Solidarity on May Day: "UN staff are not a commodity - We stand for humanity"
This 1 May 2025, as the world marks International Workers’ Day, staff from UN agencies in Geneva will unite in solidarity at Place des Nations (12:30 CEST) to take a stand against deep budget cuts and staffing reductions that affect thousands of UN colleagues worldwide and jeopardize the UN system’s vital work. UN Staff unions and associations are calling on colleagues, their families, and supporters to join this collective show of solidarity under the rallying cry: "UN staff are not a commodity - we stand for humanity."
A Crisis for Multilateralism and Global Humanitarian Assistance
The mobilization comes at a critical moment for the international civil service, with austerity measures hitting hard across the UN family:
• ILO: Nearly one in ten staff positions eliminated following sudden funding withdrawals.
• UNICEF: Facing projected budget slashes of 20%.
• WFP: Cuts in staff of 25-30% worldwide.
• UNHCR : Cuts in staff of up to 30% worldwide.
• IOM, OCHA, WHO, UNAIDS: Thousands of jobs being cut and many more jobs hanging in the balance worldwide.
"These cuts undermine our ability to deliver on the UN’s mandate. These aren’t just statistics—behind these numbers are thousands of colleagues who deliver humanitarian assistance on the frontline, ensure access to clean water, food and health, protect refugees and displaced populations, keep children in school and prevent forced labour and defend human rights" noted jointly Nathalie Meynet, President of the CCISUA Staff Federation and Cristina Pierini, General Secretary of the FICSA Staff Federation.
"On May Day, we honour the struggles of workers worldwide. Workers everywhere demand dignity, and we’re raising our voices for those who make the UN’s mission possible. Job security and the future of multilateralism is at stake" stressed Severine Deboos, President of the ILO Staff Union.
"Our colleagues have worked in some of the most dangerous, difficult and isolated locations in the world. They couldn’t choose when or where they moved. They have sacrificed their personal and family lives, and in some cases paid the ultimate price, to help those in need. Many are being let go without any social or financial support from their employers. Today we call on the UN system to treat our colleagues with dignity. Humanitarians are humans too,” said Ian Richards, President of the UNOG Staff Union.
Daniel Bertossa, PSI General Secretary, underlined that "As the world becomes more unstable the UN and the multilateral system is increasingly important to protect us all. The UN was established after the second world war to provide peace and security for the people of the world - but can only do this if the staff who do the work are adequality funded. These cuts to funding and staffing put us all at risk”. He went on to say: "These are some of the most skilled and experienced workers in the world that safeguard our peace and wellbeing. What is not widely known is that these workers do not have fundamental workers' rights like most other public service workers, and a large number work on precarious contracts and without access to basic social protections".
Why This Matters
For the first time, UN staff unions and associations will forego traditional May Day festivities with Geneva’s trade unions to stand alongside Public Services International (PSI) on this urgent issue. The mobilization highlights:
• Solidarity with staff affected by funding instability.
• Advocacy for sustainable financing of UN mandates.
• Protection of decent work within the UN system.
How to Participate ?
• 12:30 CEST: Mobilization begins at Place des Nations.
Come in number; this concerns everyone who believes in the UN.
